Stew Gavin came up through the amateur ranks with the Toronto Marlboros of the OHA from 1977 to 1980. While there, he established himself as a quick-skating plumber who could flesh out any respectable roster with his intensely determined style of play. In 1980, he was picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs who, after a brief tryout, dispatched him to the New Brunswick Hawks of the AHL to refine his game.

Over the next two campaigns, Gavin picked up an increasing number of games with the Leafs. But it wasn't until 1983-84 that he became an NHL regular. At that time, he became the Blue and White's designated checker and penalty killer. But the team was stuck on a losing track year in and year out. In 1985, the team sought to bolster its defensive corps by surrendering Gavin to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for blueliner Chris Kotsopoulos.

As a Whalers, Gavin attained his best overall results. He continued to excel at his defensive game while lifting his offensive numbers to a personal best 55 points in 76 contests during his first season with the club. But in 1988, he was claimed on waivers by the Minnesota North Stars. There he continued to perform as a defensive forward until he blew out his knee in 1993. On the advice of his doctors, he retired for a season to work as a scout, but discovered that his knee was responding better than anticipated.

In 1994-95, he staged a comeback with the Toronto Maple Leafs that led him only as high as a minor-league stint with Kansas City and Minnesota before he packed it in for good in 1996.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1976-77

Nepean Raiders

ON-Jr.A

49

28

22

50

38

1976-77

Ottawa 67's

OMJHL

1

0

0

0

0

12

1

0

1

0

1976-77

Ottawa 67's

M-Cup

5

0

0

0

4

1977-78

Toronto Marlboros

OMJHL

67

16

24

40

19

5

0

5

5

17

1978-79

Toronto Marlboros

OMJHL

61

24

25

49

83

3

1

0

1

0

1979-80

Toronto Marlboros

OMJHL

68

27

30

57

52

4

1

1

2

2

1980-81

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

14

1

2

3

13

0

1980-81

New Brunswick Hawks

AHL

46

7

12

19

42

13

1

0

1

2

1981-82

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

38

5

6

11

29

-6

1982-83

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

63

6

5

11

44

-7

4

0

0

0

0

1982-83

St. Catharines Saints

AHL

6

2

4

6

17

1983-84

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

80

10

22

32

90

-6

1984-85

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

73

12

13

25

38

-22

1985-86

Hartford Whalers

NHL

76

26

29

55

51

+12

10

4

1

5

13

1986-87

Hartford Whalers

NHL

79

20

21

41

28

+10

6

2

4

6

10

1987-88

Hartford Whalers

NHL

56

11

10

21

59

-17

6

2

2

4

4

1988-89

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

73

8

18

26

34

+3

5

3

1

4

10

1989-90

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

80

12

13

25

76

+9

7

0

2

2

12

1990-91

Minnesota North Stars

Fr-Tour

2

1

0

1

0

1990-91

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

38

4

4

8

36

-3

21

3

10

13

20

1991-92

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

35

5

4

9

27

0

7

0

0

0

6

1992-93

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

63

10

8

18

59

-4

1993-94

Dallas Stars

NHLMGNT

1994-95

Kansas City Blades

IHL

18

2

2

4

32

1995-96

Minnesota Moose

IHL

22

4

7

11

21

NHL Totals

768

130

155

285

584

66

14

20

34

75

Traded to Hartford by Toronto for Chris Kotsopoulos, October 7, 1985. Claimed by Minnesota from Hartford in Waiver Draft, October 3, 1988.